I am 11 days away from my laminectomy/discetomy of my L 4-5 to relieve a pinched nerve in my leg. Has anyone had a surgery scheduled for one thing and they discoved that they needed to do a fusion or more surgery? Does the doctor tell you this ahead of time of the possibility? I have another appointment with him the 22nd, my surgery is the 28. What will this appointment be for? I am getting nervous not knowing what the common procedures are for surgery... I know of a lady that had to have a surgery and she had to start scrubbing her back with some betadine stuff days before surgery? Is this done anymore?

My surgeon had only planned to do a 2 level fusion but found cracks after he got in there and did 3 levels. It all depends on what they find when they get in there. They're not going to wake you up for a consult.
fly

I guess what I really want to know is I am just having a laminotomy/diskectomy of the L4-5, it says also laminotomy,disc excision,1 interspace,lumbar,uni/bilat. (No fusion right). It is workers comp. if they got in and found additional damage and they had to do a fusion would they go ahead and do it or have to wait for approval from workers comp? ... would this possiblility be discussed with the dr. before the surgery?